Well I now have another new diagnosis to adjust to. Fibromialgia. Am I even spelling it right? At least there is a name for these seeingly endless muscle spasms in my shoulders and neck. My Rhumey whom I love and trust is increasing the cymbalta and asked me to try TONIC WATER. She swears by it. She said it has quinine in it and seems to help some. Hey I will mix the cherry extract with it and get real creative. Thanks for listening to me whine. I do know it could be so much worse as I listen to your stories. Hugs to you all!!!

06-16-2011, 08:49 AM

Peridot20_Gem

Tammy,

I'm sorry you've got Fibro mate but do as your doctor suggested and see if it eases the symptoms in anyway and i'll add below the symptoms for you to read mate.

((Hugs your way)) Terry xxxxx

06-16-2011, 08:52 AM

Peridot20_Gem

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia, also called fibromyalgia syndrome, is a long-term condition that causes pain all over the body.

The name fibromyalgia comes from three Latin words:

•'fibro' meaning fibrous tissues, such as tendons (tissue that connects muscles to bones) and ligaments (tissue that connects bones to bones)
•'my' meaning muscles
•'algia' meaning pain
However, the pain of fibromyalgia does not just affect the muscles, ligaments and tendons, but is felt all over the body. It results in widespread pain and extreme tiredness. People with fibromyalgia may also have:

How common is fibromyalgia?
It is estimated that fibromyalgia affects nearly 1 in 20 people across the globe. In England and Wales, there could be up to 1.76 million adults with fibromyalgia.

Anyone can develop fibromyalgia, although the condition affects more women than men. In most cases, fibromyalgia occurs between 30 and 60 years of age, but it can develop in people of any age, including children and the elderly.

Fibromyalgia can be a difficult condition to diagnose because there is no specific test and the symptoms can be similar to those of other conditions.

Outlook
There is currently no cure for fibromyalgia, because the cause is unknown. However, there are a number of treatments that may ease symptoms. Treatment tends to be a combination of:

•medicines – such as antidepressants and painkillers
•talking therapies – such as counselling
•lifestyle changes – such as better sleeping habits and relaxation
In particular, exercise has been found to have a number of important benefits for people with fibromyalgia, including helping to reduce pain. See Fibromyalgia – treatment for more information.

For most people, the symptoms of fibromyalgia are permanent, although they can vary in severity. There are several lifestyle changes that can help to relieve your symptoms and make your condition easier to live with. See Fibromyalgia – self help for more information and advice.

06-16-2011, 09:07 AM

lovedbyHim

Gosh! Just think one in twenty people with it! That means One in twenty people are walking around with headaches, constipation or diarrehea, spasms, and extreme fatigue. That makes me feel so much better! LOL Missery loves company. Just teasing dear new family. Thanks Terry. I thought I was the only one in 200 with constipation.

06-16-2011, 09:20 AM

Peridot20_Gem

There's quite a few member's on the site with Fibro and they do get some pain from it.

Well with what i've got i have regular headaches, i've had constipation and diarrehea and they thought it was IBS because i have bowel spasms but it ah it's that damaged never causing me trouble and the spasms like yourself christ them am murder when you get them and concerning fatigue lets just say i'm 90 so god knows how you feel.

I thought the info would help Tammy but i hope the drink helps it.

06-16-2011, 09:22 AM

Shaztwirl

I've been doing a lot of Googling since my rheumy diagnosed Fibro. The list of symptoms is actually quite, no not quite but VERY long! I've added a link here that is supposedly the most complete list of symptoms available.

A lot of the symptoms overlap with Lupus symptoms such as nose and mouth ulcers, hair loss etc. I printed off the list and highlighted the ones I have problems with and quite scared myself LOL!!

06-16-2011, 09:27 AM

Gizmo

It stinks when the diagnoses start stacking up, but knowing the reason for your pain must be somewhat reassuring. Take it as permission to be extra good to yourself. I know you have to work, but take breaks when you can, let someone else do the physical labor. I hope the Sunguard will help with your lupus symptoms so that you are a little more comfortable. Because fibro is becoming a relatively common diagnosis, and has some quirky symptoms, there are some crackpot "cures" and misinformation out there. Just be careful about the sites you get info from. I found the fibro messages boards have a disproportionate number of suicidal people who were constantly in crisis and didn't really want to get better.

Tonic water works for my husband when he gets leg cramps. Sometimes he adds a little potassium and magnesium. My daughter gets relief with Vit D and magnesium. Did your doc talk about injecting trigger points in the muscles? Some people swear by it and I got some relief the one time I had it done. Most rheumies do those injections.

BTW, your picture is so joyful. I feel like the people who get to see your smile in person must just have to smile back.

06-16-2011, 09:32 AM

lovedbyHim

Omgosh Shaztwirl! I have so many of those symptoms and never linked them! What a ride this is! Sheesh! I blamed it all on Lupus and heriditary defects! LOL Mitrol valve prolapse part of fibro. Who knew? Thanks again for the list.

06-16-2011, 09:45 AM

tgal

Manu of us with lupus also have fibromyalgia and, on occassiOn, it is hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. an ever increasing amount of doctors and scientist are actually considering fibromyalgia as an auto immune disease. At this tome it is not on the list but it may be soon.

06-16-2011, 09:53 AM

Shaztwirl

That's the same kind of reaction I had when I saw the list. Most people only know the obvious ones of muscle and joint pain and headaches and stuff. There is SO much more to Fibro. The one thing I can't find a link with though is the photosensitivity. A lot of the advice I've seen with Fibro is that the summer weather and sun is good for sufferers. Not so for us who can't tolerate the sun obviously. And of course, like everything else there is no cure just management. I've had the cortisone injections for carpel tunnel before but my pressure points aren't so bad that I'd have the injections for them. It's the fatigue that gets me down but hopefully one the meds kick in that will improve too. Good luck to you xxx